We won't sit aloof for you to collapse our legit business - Mining group jabs critics

Members of the Responsible Scale Miners Association (RSSMA) have cautioned the Trades Union Congress (TUC) to desist from associating legal small-scale miners in the current galamsey conversation.

According to the group, calls by the TUC and other CSOs for the government to put a ban on all mining activities, including the legal ones, were needless.

Addressing a press conference over the weekend, Vice President of the RSSMA, Daniel Kwaku Mensah, aka DKM, said their members always mine in the right way, adding that inciting the government to stop all mining activities would render most people jobless.

"It is very unfortunate that people are now playing cards with our precious jobs. Most of them are even playing politics. What RSMA wants to say is that we support the government in its drastic measures to stop the illegalities. We are also fighting the course to ensure these illegalities are eradicated."

"We want to state on record that we are doing a good job and we are also helping the youth. If you look at the statistics, you can attest that our sector holds 12% of the youth in terms of job creation. Instead of fighting against the real people destroying water bodies in our forest reserves, we are unfortunate to hear organized groups calling for a total ban on our work, which is not fair. This is not the first time we are going to experience that if it happens. In fact, we can't entertain those calls for our people to go hungry; it wouldn't be fair," DKM said.

He further pleaded with the government to follow the strict measures that seek to prevent illegal miners from operating, especially on water bodies and in forests.

"Though we accept that in every sector there may be some unfortunate happenings. But does that call for the total collapse of such sectors? The answer is no! Why are people now calling for a ban on our sector alone? We can't allow for that. We are only urging the government to use the right measures to fight these illegalities instead of following these critics who are calling for a total ban on the whole mining sector."

"We are responsible miners who have licenses, and no responsible miner will go to mine either in the river or in the forest. We don't agree with organised labour on its call for a total ban on all mining activities; no, it wouldn't happen. We were here when politicians started playing cards with our mining issues. Where was the organised labour when people were doing politics with this serious canker?" he quizzed.

He finally disclosed that legal small-scale miners will continuously mine responsibly, adding that they were going to support the government in the fight against the illegal ones.